Negative glow system for creating illusion of motion



Dec. 5, 1933. N E JR 1,938,538

NEGATIVE GLOW SYSTEM FOR CREATING ILLUSION OF MOTION Fi led May 18, 1931 Patented Dec. 5, 1933 t NEGATIVE- GLOW.-SYSTEM Fo'n CREATING f I v ILLUSIl\l.0FlMOTI 0 N Andrew F. Henninger, Jr.,-Chica;g'o, Ill.

Application May 18 1931 v Serial N0. 538,051 Claims. (01. 176-14 My invention relates tonegativer glow devices and more particularly to a device of this character which is calculated to give" an illusion of a continuous motionofa figure or design where there is in factno motion present.

My invention contemplates as a means for obtaining this result'theprovision' of a multiple unit figure so arranged-that while certain parts of 'it may be caused to glow continuously, the glow discharge may be shifted between other parts of thefigureto create theillusion to the eye that the-parts are actually moving.

*Myinvention also contemplates the provision ofa combination of negative glowdevices so arrangedw'ith respect to each other and operated with respect to each otheras-to create an effect upon the eye of the observer that the figures are continuously marching or moving in one direction;

I will describe the preferred ro in or my invention more: fully" by reference to the ac companying"drawingwhereinv, t I

Figi 1" is a front view of a device embodying the invention;

Fig. *2 is a view taken at rightangles-jto Fig. 1 showing the relative positioning of parts and Fig. 3 is a viewof a plurality of unitsso connected asto create a. certain illusory appear ance.

Referring nowfin detail to the drawing, the

, vided. With the terminal leads 10,1 1l, and"1 2,

respectively. I

By means of the circuit as. shown Fi'g. 2, a thermostat 13 is adapted to open'and close to alternately cause the discharge between electrodes 7 and 8 atone instant and electrodes 7 and 9' at the next'instant. Thus electrode 7,

representing the body of the figure, is illumi-'.

nated 'at all times while the quickflashing of electrodes 8 and 9 alternately gives an -impre's sion'of'a' change in position of the hands and feet of the figure 'so' as to create the illusion that he is walking or running. In this manner the appendages of the figure may be made to appear as moving by causing the flashing to occur at such a rapid rate as to prevent the eye' from following or discovering the illusion.

It is .obvious, of -course,.that the figure need not be'limited to the same type asshown and described since the same system may be applied to different types of figureswhere abody portion is causedto move or has movement of the 0 appendages thereto. For example, this system could'easily be applied'to the figure of a. fourfooted animal. r

*The particularmeans of creating the flashing of the electrodes shown consist of the thermostat 13, an autotransformer 14, a limiting re- ,sistance 15, and a heating coil 16 for the ther-- mostat. Terminal 12 and one end of the transf former 14 make contact atl'l' with the thermostat element. Terminal '10 is connected through the limiting resistance 15'to the otherside of the transformer -14. This-transformer is, as shown "in Fig.2, energized from a suitable source alternating current potential. Lead-terminal 1 1, 'asshoWnJ-is co'n'nected'tothe end 18 of the thermostat opposite the contact 1'7.

The operation of the device is asfollows: Assuming that at starting-contact 17-is closed, the electrodes 8iand 9 are connected in parallel across the transformer tothei'electrode 7. Electrode '8, however, being much closerto electrode 7 will take all of the" current and thus glow brightly while electrode-9 will be substantially dark. Thus electrodes 7 and 8-will be" glowing toillustrate the figure in the full line position as shownin FigJfL While thisfis occurring, however, -thecurrent is flowing through the heating coil-16 owing to the fact that oneendo-f this coil is connected at 18" to one terminal of thetransformerwhile the other'endof the coil is onneotedby lead" 19 to the mid point of'the transformer. The heating of thermo'stat'13 in this'fashionwould cause it 'tobreak the circuit at l'lthus cutting outterminal 11 and itsase scented electrode 8 from connection with'either side of the transformer; similarly, the circuit for the heatingcoil is broken at 17x Electrode 9will now be caused to glow due to current flow-- I ing between it and electrode '7 so that now the body electrode '7- is still glowing but electrode 8 106 is dark and electrode 9 is glowing to put the figure in the position shown by the dotted'and dash'lines' in Fig. This alternating'reaction will continue'totake placeat intervals dependa ing upon theconstants of thermostat 13 andthe heating'coil 16; I i i H Referring now to Fig. 3, there is illustrated a manner in which an illusion of a continuous stream of figures passing across a space may be r created. This is accomplished by using a series 116 of tubes or figures such as A, B, C, and D, each figure operating substantially like the figure shown in Figs. 1 and 2. For this apparatus, however, I prefer to use the circuit similar to that shown in my prior application serial No. 518,981, filed February 28, 1931, for Flashing negative glow display device.

Thermostats 1 and 2 have front and back contacts and operate to illuminate the electrodes in the following fashion: When thermostat 1 is cold, it closes its front contact thus connecting full voltage across electrodes 7 and 8 of tubes A and C causing these electrodes to glow. Also the heating coil of thermostat 1 is energized by this connection causing after a brief interval the opening of the circuit at front contact of thermostat 1. Thermostat 2 is timed to close its front or top contact when front contact of thermostat 1 opens. When this occurs, electrodes 7 and 9 in tubes B and D glow, and, as the back contact of thermostat 1 does not close for a short time after the front contact is open, tubes C. and A will be dark for a period creating. the impression that the figures have stepped from tubes A and C to tubes B and D. As heat is now applied to thermostat 2 by means of its heating coil, it opens its front contact at about the time thermostat 1 closes its back contact. Closing of the back contact of thermostat 1 causes the potential to be applied across electrodes 7 and 8 of tubes B and D, and then as thermostat 2 swings over to its back contact due to the heat applied, thermostat 1 separates from its back contact and moves toward its front, contact. When thermostat 2 strikes its back contact, tubes A and C are again lighted, this time with electrodes 7 and 9 glowing; and then, when thermostat 2 reverses as it cools andmoves away fromits back contact, thermostat 1 iscooled enough to strike its frontcontact again, to start the cycle over. I find it is not difficult to so adjust the heating and cooling of the thermostats, which are bimetallic elements,; to obtain the above operation, The front and back contacts may, of course, be made of spring material to yield more or less as their thermostatic elements 1 and 2 engage them and facilitate adjustment in this manner.

In this manner, the figure is made to appear as walking from one tube to the next, and of course if desired, by continuous operation of each of the tubes, the illusion created is that of-a plurality of figures marching across thespace occupied by the. tubes. f a

From the above description, it is rbelievedthat the construction and operationof this device will be clear to those skilled in this art and. the advantages thereof readily apparent. It is also believed to be obvious that various minor -modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention herein set forth.

It is advisable to coat the backs of electrodes '7, 8, and 9 with an insulation of some sort as indicated at 20 to prevent discharge to their back surfaces. The lead-in and supporting. wiresare also insulated to protect them. from the discharge and prevent their glowing. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A negative glow device for-creating an il--.

lusion of an animated object in motion comprising a gas filled envelope having a stationary electrode forming the body of said object, and a plurality of electrodes forming appendages of said object, said last named electrodes each presenting said appendages as in a different position relative to said body, and means for passing an alternating electric current between said body electrode and different ones of said appendage forming electrodes in a serial order to produce an optical illusion of motion.

2. A negative glow device for creating an illusion of an animated object in motion comprising a gas filled envelope having therein a plurality of stationary electrodes depicting said object in different positions, each electrode forming a visible part of the object when in circuit, a source of alternating current supply for causing a discharge between said electrodes and thereby cause them to glow with the characteristic negative glow, and means for connecting said source of current supply across different groups of said electrodes in a definite order whereby to produce a glowing. object in different positions, one of said electrodes being illuminated as a part of the object in all said groups.

, 3. A negative glow device for creating an illusion of an animated object in motion comprising a gas filled envelope having thereina plurality of stationary electrodes depicting said object in different positions, a source of alternating current supply for-causing a discharge between said electrodes and thereby cause them to glow with the characteristic negative glow, and means for connecting. said source of current supply across different groups of said electrodes in a definite order whereby to produce a glowing object in different positions, saidelectrodes being substantially flat plates each shaped to form a portion of said object.

4. A negative glow device for creating an illusion of an animated object in motion comprising a gas filled envelope having therein a plurality of stationary electrodes depicting said object in different positions each electrode forming a visible part of the object when in circuit, a source of alternating current supply for causing a discharge between said electrodes and thereby cause them to glow with the characteristic negative glow, and means for connecting said source 7 of current supply across different groups of said electrodes in a definite order whereby to produce a glowing object in differentpositions, said elec trodes being, interconnected to form a rigid structure. by non-conducting means.

5. A negative glow device for creating an illusion of an animated object in motion'comprising a gas filled. envelope having therein a plu. rality of stationary electrodes depicting said ob ject in different positions each electrode forming a visible part of the .object when in circuit, a source. of. alternating current supply for causing a discharge 'betweensaid electrodes and thereby cause them to glow with the characteristic nega tive glow, and means for connecting said source of. current supply across different groups of said electrodes in a definite order whereby to produce a glowing object in different positions, said electrodes having discharge receiving surfaces all facing in the same direction.

ANDREW F. HENNINGER, JR.

lit 

